This invention relates to the field of lubricating guidewires, such as cardiac catheter guide wires. In particular, this invention provides a simple inexpensive and disposable device for lubricating a catheter guidewire.
In various medical procedures, a guidewire is used for guiding a medical device, such as a catheter, which is introduced in to a living body directly or through an endoscope or the like. The inserted medical device, typically having a hollow structure, is used to deliver various medical tools, substances or to perform certain medical procedures in a target location within the body, such as the heart, liver and other organs. The inserted device is generally placed into a body cavity, organ systems, or venous system (an incision may be needed to access certain systems, such as an incision through the skin to access an artery) and guided to the target location by a guidewire. The guidewire is generally a thin wire or hollow tube core, with a flexible outer body such as a helical coil. The outer flexible body is torqued to steer the guidewire to the target location. The device, such as a catheter, may be inserted over the guidewire and steered to the target location, either in conjunction with the placement of the guidewire, or after placement of the guidewire, by threading the catheter over the previously positioned guidewire. Examples of guidewires can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,296,616 and 6,251,085 herein incorporated by reference. When a guidewire is inserted into the vascular system, an introducer is used, which generally incorporates a type of homeostatic valve mechanism to isolate the vascular system and provide an entry point for the guidewire. Some introduces include a lubricating device, such as a sponge within the introducer which lubricates the guidewire/catheter through the valve/opening of the introducer. Newer guidewires can be coated with a hydrophobic coating, thereby providing a very slick surface when water is used to lubricate the coated guidewire.
A catheter will be threaded, sleeved or inserted over the guidewire, through the lumen of the catheter. When threading or inserting the catheter onto the guidewire, lubrication is also needed, as the catheter lumen""s diameter will generally be close to that of the guidewire. Currently, the guidewire is wetted by applying a lubricating fluid via a sponge to the guidewire during catheter insertion, requiring the sponge to be continually re-dipped into the wetting lubricating fluid during the procedure. This is cumbersome and presents risks of contamination.
It is an object of the invention to provide a simple inexpensive device for lubricating a guidewire.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disposable device for lubricating a guidewire.
It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic feed device for lubricating a guidewire.
In conjunction with a guidewire, a handheld guidewire lubrication device is provided. The device has a fluid reservoir for storing a lubricating fluid, where the reservoir has an exterior surface with a first and second face portions, and the reservoir is flexible to allow the first and second face portions to be brought into opposition. The first and second face portions have a compressible permeable material positioned on the face portions, and the compressible material is in fluid communication with the interior of the reservoir.